Small Diameter Distributor Swap, part #'s
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
1991camaro - I've thought about this and I think I am going to try and get a new on ebay, by the time I buy a new cap & rotor it will be really close to the cost of a new one. I really really appreacite your taking pics and sending them to me, if I can not get one on ebay, I'll drop you a note.
Chris-I am changing from the Miniram to the Superram and want more clearance, that "Pizza Box" is big. I dont have enough cam to make the Mini perform as well as it could and I think tuning will be easier with a SR too.
Chris-I am changing from the Miniram to the Superram and want more clearance, that "Pizza Box" is big. I dont have enough cam to make the Mini perform as well as it could and I think tuning will be easier with a SR too.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
Originally Posted by USAsOnlyWay
Larry if you don't mind me asking, why are you swapping?
:
:He has a machine he can run them on and test them for bad bearing and other items. It can spin them pretty fast ~10k rpm if he so chooses. Anyways. He swears by the larger diameter caps for racing as opposed to smaller aftermarket ones.
He said you put an MSD box on or an aftermarket coil, its very common and fequent with the small caps you will get spark scatter (wrong post getting the charge for you guys unfamiliar with the term). That is #1 destroyer of engines - pre-ingition.
He said it doesn't even have to be at a very high RPM for it to happed either, although the faster they spin, the more likelyhood you can create it.
If you look on the big guys cars like force and them they have distributers the size of garbage cans. You see the smaller the cap, the closer the posts are to one another. The larger the great the posts are spread from one another.
I was going to buy an aftermarket cap for mine till he shared that tid bit of information with me.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,384
Likes: 124
From: Reno/Sparks Nevada
Originally Posted by LD85
Thanks guys, I have an MSD pigtail to hook up to the new cap and my MSD 6AL
But does anyone know @ how much smaller this cap is, just aprox?
But does anyone know @ how much smaller this cap is, just aprox?
Art
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Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
Originally Posted by ski_dwn_it
THat is a good question actually. I have a buddy that is into racing pretty heavily and also runs a radiator, alternator, starter, etc repair shop. One of the items he works on quite frequently is distributers.
He has a machine he can run them on and test them for bad bearing and other items. It can spin them pretty fast ~10k rpm if he so chooses. Anyways. He swears by the larger diameter caps for racing as opposed to smaller aftermarket ones.
He said you put an MSD box on or an aftermarket coil, its very common and fequent with the small caps you will get spark scatter (wrong post getting the charge for you guys unfamiliar with the term). That is #1 destroyer of engines - pre-ingition.
He said it doesn't even have to be at a very high RPM for it to happed either, although the faster they spin, the more likelyhood you can create it.
If you look on the big guys cars like force and them they have distributers the size of garbage cans. You see the smaller the cap, the closer the posts are to one another. The larger the great the posts are spread from one another.
I was going to buy an aftermarket cap for mine till he shared that tid bit of information with me.
He has a machine he can run them on and test them for bad bearing and other items. It can spin them pretty fast ~10k rpm if he so chooses. Anyways. He swears by the larger diameter caps for racing as opposed to smaller aftermarket ones.
He said you put an MSD box on or an aftermarket coil, its very common and fequent with the small caps you will get spark scatter (wrong post getting the charge for you guys unfamiliar with the term). That is #1 destroyer of engines - pre-ingition.
He said it doesn't even have to be at a very high RPM for it to happed either, although the faster they spin, the more likelyhood you can create it.
If you look on the big guys cars like force and them they have distributers the size of garbage cans. You see the smaller the cap, the closer the posts are to one another. The larger the great the posts are spread from one another.
I was going to buy an aftermarket cap for mine till he shared that tid bit of information with me.
Maybe someone can post some pics of the Distributor clearance for me.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
I spoke with www.jimsperformance.com today, they said that they do not recommend the factory 87-92 small diamater distributor for the same reasons SKI states above, eventually at high mileage you get weak spark & spark scatter and other potetnial issues.
He says to stay with the stock corvette HEI or go to a MSD 8366 because the MSD 8366 is a much beter built unit.
More good info, so I will ship around for an MSD or stay with the factory distributor.
Thanks SKI for the heads up.
He says to stay with the stock corvette HEI or go to a MSD 8366 because the MSD 8366 is a much beter built unit.
More good info, so I will ship around for an MSD or stay with the factory distributor.
Thanks SKI for the heads up.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,383
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Originally Posted by LD85
Jesse, I have seen a few Superrams with the stock distributors and it looks like the Large cap hits the back of the Superram plenum, did you have any issues?
Maybe someone can post some pics of the Distributor clearance for me.
Maybe someone can post some pics of the Distributor clearance for me.
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
Originally Posted by USAsOnlyWay
So are all SR users stuck with this, or is a large cap HEI usuable with a SR?
You can use the large cap no with no problems in conjuction with the SR.
LD85 - good to see that someone else verified this with the smaller caps.
It might be worth having someone rebuild your stock unit for piece of mind.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 12,772
Likes: 17
From: Indianapolis IN
Originally Posted by USAsOnlyWay
Well Larry, hopefully my annoying question helped save you from a possible problem! Good luck with the hunt!
It appears that it is a good mod, but you gotta spend $225 on an MSD cause a factory unit wont get it done right.
So I will just spin the distributor a tooth to get it where I want it and for the best clearnce.
I hope all is well for you West Coasters out there!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,383
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Originally Posted by LD85
So I will just spin the distributor a tooth to get it where I want it and for the best clearnce.
